Optical device, method for manufacturing the same and optical integrated device using the same

Abstract

Provided is an optical device that includes a ring-shaped optical waveguide and an input/output optical waveguide, and that changes a resonant wavelength of the ring-shaped optical waveguide, in which the ring-shaped optical waveguide includes in part a refractive index control section for controlling a refractive index at a guided wavelength, and the refractive index control section is formed of an optical material having a thermo-optic effect with its sign different from that of an optical material that forms a section of the ring-shaped optical waveguide other than the refractive index control section.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An optical device, comprising an optical waveguide having a resonance structure, wherein:
 a first section that constitutes at least part of the optical waveguide includes a core layer connected to a core layer of a second section of the optical waveguide, which joins with the first section along a light traveling direction; and 
 a first optical material that forms at least part of the core layer of the first section, and a second optical material that forms at least part of the core layer of the second section have thermo-optic effects with their signs different from each other; 
 wherein the first section comprises a refractive index control section operable to control a refractive index at a guided wavelength according to an electric control signal; 
 wherein the refractive index control section comprises, as the first optical material, one of an electro optic material including lead zirconate titanate and a material including lanthanum-doped lead zirconate titanate; and 
 wherein the first section and the second section are parts of a ring-shaped optical waveguide. 
 
     
     
       2. An optical device according to  claim 1 , wherein the second optical material comprises an inorganic optical material. 
     
     
       3. An optical device according to  claim 1 , wherein a waveguide of the first section and a waveguide of the second section have, at least in part, at least one pair of effective lengths, refractive indices, and structures, which are set to have a relation in which a fluctuation in resonant wavelength induced by a temperature change is compensated. 
     
     
       4. An optical device according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the optical waveguide comprises a ring-shaped optical waveguide; 
 the optical device further comprises an input/output optical waveguide; and 
 the optical device uses a resonance characteristic of the ring-shaped optical waveguide. 
 
     
     
       5. An optical device according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the refractive index control section comprises an electrode is capable of forming an electric field; and 
 the optical device operates as an optical modulator or an optical switch for controlling a light beam by applying an electric signal to the electrode. 
 
     
     
       6. An optical integrated device, comprising:
 the optical device according to  claim 1  as a first device; and 
 a second optical device mounted on a substrate on which the first device is mounted. 
 
     
     
       7. An optical integrated device according to  claim 6 , wherein the second optical device comprises any one of a laser device, an electro-optic converter, an opto-electric converter, an optical amplifier, an optical switch, and an optical filter. 
     
     
       8. An optical integrated device, comprising on a substrate:
 the optical device according to  claim 1 ; and 
 an electronic circuit. 
 
     
     
       9. A manufacturing method for the optical device according to  claim 1 , comprising forming at least part of the refractive index control section by depositing an optical material by an aerosol deposition method.